This item is part of the Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements (PRISM) digital collection, a collaborative initiative between Florida Atlantic University and University of Central Florida in the Publication of Archival, Library & Museum Materials (PALMM).
Sarah Palin's public image to date has been one of novelty and inconsistency. Yet her political career is anything but novel. Her political decisions, career history, and public pronouncements have firm roots in a particular model of women in politics in the frontier west. This article examines the parallels, comparing Palin's political career with those of other political women of the west. The research draws on personal interviews with over fifty women elected officials, on the literature related to women in politics, and on the history of political women in the American west.
Sarah Palin's public image to date has been one of novelty and inconsistency. Yet her political career is anything but novel. Her political decisions, career history, and public pronouncements have firm roots in a particular model of women in politics in the frontier west. This article examines the parallels, comparing Palin's political career with those of other political women of the west. The research draws on personal interviews with over fifty women elected officials, on the literature related to women in politics, and on the history of political women in the American west. Adapted from the source document.